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Sunday, March 7, 2010

Iraq vote for members of Parliament unfolding amidst explosions - Iraqi insurgents are trying to disrupt the elections with mortar fire and road side bombs exploding across the country. The NY Times has more here.

It has now been seven years since the U.S. led invasion of Iraq. U.S. troops are scheduled to withdraw from Iraq by December if all goes well following this election. Leading up to the election, there were no sectarian or political blocks that appeared to be set to win a majority in the 325 member Parliament. How the various groups work together following the election, will largely determine the success of democracy in Iraq.

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Israeli - Palestine Talks on again? - Middle East Envoy George Mitchell arrived in Israel yesterday accompanied by a full U.S. foreign policy team. He met with Israel Foreign Minister Ehud Barak and today will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Monday, Mitchell will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmood Abbas. Politico.com has more here.

It is expected the finishing touches will be made on the resumption of Israel-Palestinian talks prior to the arrival on Monday of Vice President Joe Biden. Biden will be giving a speech at Tel Aviv University. The hopes are he will be able to announce the resumption of talks.

Continued Israeli building of settlements on the West Bank have long hampered any serious discussion between Israel and Palestine.

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Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) continues to push forward on Financial regulatory Reform - the chair of the Senate Banking Committee has been locked in discussions with Republican Senators and committee members Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). The Republicans do not want a new Consumer Finance Protection Agency which was proposed by the Obama administration and passed by the House. TheHill.com has more here.

The two Republican Senators have suggested this agency be placed in the Federal Reserve to which Barney Frank (D-Mass.) chair of the House Financial Services Committee says he would be ok if it was placed in the Treasury Department.

For Dodd, the criteria is the head must be appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate, have an independent budget and the authority to write and enforce regulations. Dodd nails what is important. It is way past the time to pass this needed and expected legislation following the near collapse of the U.S. financial system.

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Is Senior White House Adviser David Axelrod suited for the Job? - he was the mastermind behind the message as the Obama campaign moved forward to victory in November 2008. He was credited along with David Plouffe as running a campaign that stayed on message.

Today, as President Obama struggles with health care reform and falling poll numbers, some are wondering if he is the right man to be handling the message coming out of the White House today. The NY Times has more here.

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